Show historical DOCUMENTS washington april 10 hon HOD gorge gerge C gorham Go rbana custodian of the private papers of secretary stanton Stan toa and engaged OB an his biography has written an open letter to senator sherman dehling dealing with the strife ing portions of the senators Senator ls rebear address and embodying sundry important historical documents not before published after repeating the reference sherman aberman made to the terms of surrender made by general sherman in accordance with lincoln Pa policy for the forces of general joseph johnston and other commanders at theodose theo the close lose of the war gorham said you would have it understood der stood that general genera sherman was set upon and insulted and his bis arrange ments set aside by president johnson johnsoa and secretary stanton in a mean and narrow writ spirit of revenge and that general grant interposed and the two generals agreed on now new terms and ended the war whatever Lincol ns policy none knew better than you that he never usurped the powers of con bressor gres sor allowed a military subordinate to guide him byan by an authorized agreement made under the supervision of jefferson davis and his cabinet a fortnight before the sherman johnston J oh negotiations lincoln directed grant to have bave no conference with lee unless for an arrangement for lees tion or on purely military matters this is proof that lincoln would have disapproved SHERMANS arrangement I 1 general sherman Sh ermac afier receiving the governments government disapproval of hip hi ferms saiu said 1 l admit my iny roily folly in embracing in a military convention civic matters your reference refer euce to grant covingto mingto co eo sherman shermans Sher mans Is relief would lead to the supposition that grant had approved the agreement on the contrary he be condemned it before it was submitted to the president or secretary Bt anton borham quotes a letter from grant to stanton in which the former advises advisee the receipt of dispatches and Te requests quests a cabinet council at once as they are of such importance in a note to sherman grant advises advise shim him of the disapproval by the president of the negotiations except for the surrender of johnstons army and orders a termination mi nation of the armistice and a resumption of hostilities grant joined sherman and sherman bherman gave notice of the resumption of hostilities johnston thereupon surrendered on the terms accorded to lee by grant As a matter of prudence and necessity i stanton telegraphed to general dix in new york to publish the ibe same with a copy of the sherman job daton agreement menta and its disapproval by the government ern ment to which were appended the reasons for its disapproval which were that sherman bherman had bad exercised authority not vested in him and had bad made a practical of the rebel government THE AGREEMENT undertook to reestablish establish re the state government and placed arms and muni munitions time of war in the hands of the rebels which raight might be used to subdue the loyaL statts States aud andley by a 4 restoration of rebel authority enable the establish reestablish re ment of slavery it would permit the federal government to pay the rebel debts and subject the loyal citizens of rebel stacee to those debts it would put iut in dispute the existence of the government of the loyal states and the now new state of west virginia it would abolish the confiscation laws law and relieve the rebels of the penalties of their crimes it gave terms repeatedly rejected by lincoln anti and better terms termo than the rebels had ever asked and formed no basis for a truland true and lasting peace gorham says that the publication of the disapproval had bad to be made to prevent a serious and perhaps dangerous discontent but no one will question the good intentions of general sherman in making the agreement IN conclusion gorham quotes one more authority supporting stanton and condemning sherman no less than a letter written by john sherman from cleveland on april 27 1865 to secretary of war stanton saying that he be was distressed beyond ceasur leasuy at the terms granted and ana that they were inadmissible yet he holt felt that gross injustice was done to genera rat sherman who at the worst had bad granted the rebels too liberal terms but the same could be said of lincoln and grant in tha tb le arrangement sherman had bad not understood the political bearing of the agreement but looked up upon on the contest arm a simple militar military view few sherman Sher noan asserted his hip willin willingness gnes being so BO troubled about the matter to go to washington or anywhere else whore where he be could render the least ker service vice in closing he be said 1 I do not wish general sherman unjustly dealt with and know that you will not permit it especially I 1 do not want him driven into tellow fellowship ship with the copperheads copper heads 11 in commenting upon the letter gorham says he cannot find any refer ence to the insult with which it Is ie now asserted johnston johnsto n and stanton rejected Sher shermana mans terms he honored and admired sherman Sn erman and also stanton and being his biographer he could not remain silent when one of stan tons tona greatest and wisest sets acta was mis stated to show that sherman was right when he senator sherman admitted that he was wrong |